I've found a lot of conflicting information on getting one of these up and running on Debian/Ubuntu/Mint, this is a guide
to what I did to get mine working. This was tested on Orange Pi 1.0.2 Bookworm aarch64 and Linux Mint 21.3 x86_64.
The OrangePi (and possibly other SBC devices) does not provide enough power to the USB port to activate the reader. You will need to get a powered USB hub.
GoToTags the original manufacturer of ACR122U devices no longer manages them. All devices currently listed on Amazon/eBay/AliExpress are clones of the original. The company reasonably does not offer support for these clones.
Citation: nfc-tools/libnfc#659
These are cheap NFC reader/writers you can get on Amazon and AliExpress with various weird branding for $10-$30.
They're frequented branded as NFC Reader Writer USB NFC Smart IC Card Reader Writer Copier Duplicator Contactless
13.56MHz 424kbps for FeliCa NFC Tags. They're all essentiall the same USB device using a ACR122U chip.
This should appear as the following using lsusb -v.
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 072f:2200 Advanced Card Systems, Ltd ACR122U
Device Descriptor:
bLength 18
bDescriptorType 1
bcdUSB 1.10
bDeviceClass 0
bDeviceSubClass 0
bDeviceProtocol 0
bMaxPacketSize0 8
idVendor 0x072f Advanced Card Systems, Ltd
idProduct 0x2200 ACR122U
bcdDevice 2.14
iManufacturer 1 ACS
iProduct 2 ACR122U PICC Interface
iSerial 0
bNumConfigurations 1
Configuration Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 2
wTotalLength 0x005d
bNumInterfaces 1
bConfigurationValue 1
iConfiguration 0
bmAttributes 0x80
(Bus Powered)
MaxPower 200mA
Interface Descriptor:
bLength 9
bDescriptorType 4
bInterfaceNumber 0
bAlternateSetting 0
bNumEndpoints 3
bInterfaceClass 11 Chip/SmartCard
bInterfaceSubClass 0
bInterfaceProtocol 0
iInterface 0
ChipCard Interface Descriptor:
bLength 54
bDescriptorType 33
bcdCCID 1.00
nMaxSlotIndex 0
bVoltageSupport 7 5.0V 3.0V 1.8V
dwProtocols 2 T=1
dwDefaultClock 4000
dwMaxiumumClock 4000
bNumClockSupported 0
dwDataRate 10752 bps
dwMaxDataRate 250000 bps
bNumDataRatesSupp. 0
dwMaxIFSD 256
dwSyncProtocols 00000000
dwMechanical 00000000
dwFeatures 00020040
Auto parameter negotiation made by CCID
Short APDU level exchange
dwMaxCCIDMsgLen 271
bClassGetResponse 00
bClassEnvelope 00
wlcdLayout none
bPINSupport 0
bMaxCCIDBusySlots 1
Endpoint Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 5
bEndpointAddress 0x81 EP 1 IN
bmAttributes 3
Transfer Type Interrupt
Synch Type None
Usage Type Data
wMaxPacketSize 0x0008 1x 8 bytes
bInterval 50
Endpoint Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 5
bEndpointAddress 0x02 EP 2 OUT
bmAttributes 2
Transfer Type Bulk
Synch Type None
Usage Type Data
wMaxPacketSize 0x0040 1x 64 bytes
bInterval 1
Endpoint Descriptor:
bLength 7
bDescriptorType 5
bEndpointAddress 0x82 EP 2 IN
bmAttributes 2
Transfer Type Bulk
Synch Type None
Usage Type Data
wMaxPacketSize 0x0040 1x 64 bytes
bInterval 1
Device Status: 0x0002
(Bus Powered)
Remote Wakeup Enabled
sudo apt purge libnfc6
sudo modprobe -r pn533_usb
sudo modprobe -r pn533
sudo modprobe -r nfc
sudo rmmod pn533_usb
sudo rmmod pn533
sudo rmmod nfc
sudo touch /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-libnfc.conf
echo "blacklist nfc" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-libnfc.conf > /dev/null
echo "blacklist pn533" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-libnfc.conf > /dev/null
echo "blacklist pn533_usb" | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-libnfc.conf > /dev/null
sudo apt install -y \
pcscd pcsc-tools \
libacsccid1 libtool libusb-dev \
libpcsclite-dev libnfc-dev \
build-essential libssl-dev \
libusb-1.0-0-dev libglib2.0-dev \
doxygen
You will need to use this modified libnfc to avoid some errors from the regular distributed libnfc.
If you use stock, you'll see stuff like.
nfc-list uses libnfc 1.7.1
error libnfc.driver.acr122_usb Unable to set alternate setting on USB interface (Connection timed out)
nfc-list: ERROR: Unable to open NFC device: acr122_usb:004:005
nfc-list uses libnfc 1.7.1
error libnfc.driver.acr122_usb Unable to set alternate setting on USB interface (Connection timed out)
nfc-list: ERROR: Unable to open NFC device: acr122_usb:004:007
nfc-list: ERROR: Unable to open NFC device: acr122_pcsc:ACS ACR122U 00 00
nfc-list uses libnfc 1.7.1
error libnfc.driver.acr122_usb Unable to set alternate setting on USB interface (Connection timed out)
nfc-list: ERROR: Unable to open NFC device: acr122_usb:004:007
error libnfc.driver.acr122_pcsc No ACR122 firmware received, Error: 80100016
nfc-list: ERROR: Unable to open NFC device: acr122_pcsc:ACS ACR122U 00 00
I did try building from the original source here
and had no luck. I forked my branch as listed to clone from
jpwidera/libnfc in case the original is deleted or removed.
git clone https://github.com/pjobson/libnfc.git
cd libnfc
./make_release.sh
./configure
sudo make
sudo make install
cd ..
rm -rf libnfc
sudo sh -c "echo /usr/local/lib > /etc/ld.so.conf.d/usr-local-lib.conf"
sudo ldconfig
This fixes a permissionns error and we will give your user access below.
Error Message: Unable to claim USB interface (Operation not permitted)
sudo chgrp -R plugdev /dev/bus/usb
sudo chmod -R g+w /dev/bus/usb
sudo usermod -aG plugdev $USER
sudo systemctl enable pcscd
sudo systemctl status pcscd
Should return:
● pcscd.service - PC/SC Smart Card Daemon
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/pcscd.service; indirect; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Tue 2025-01-14 23:44:16 EST; 2s ago
TriggeredBy: ● pcscd.socket
Docs: man:pcscd(8)
Main PID: 3932739 (pcscd)
Tasks: 3 (limit: 45347)
Memory: 896.0K
CPU: 19ms
CGroup: /system.slice/pcscd.service
└─3932739 /usr/sbin/pcscd --foreground --auto-exit
Jan 14 23:44:16 fourninefive systemd[1]: Started PC/SC Smart Card Daemon.
nfc-list
Should return:
nfc-list uses libnfc libnfc-1.7.1-226-g07f9182
NFC device: ACS / ACR122U PICC Interface opened
nfc-scan-device
Should return:
nfc-scan-device uses libnfc 1.7.1
1 NFC device(s) found:
- ACS / ACR122U PICC Interface:
acr122_usb:002:012
pcsc_scan
Should show...
PC/SC device scanner
V 1.6.2 (c) 2001-2022, Ludovic Rousseau <[email protected]>
Using reader plug'n play mechanism
Scanning present readers...
0: ACS ACR122U 00 00
Sun Dec 29 00:45:36 2024
Reader 0: ACS ACR122U 00 00
Event number: 0
Card state: Card removed,
ATR: 3B 00
ATR: 3B 00
+ TS = 3B --> Direct Convention
+ T0 = 00, Y(1): 0000, K: 0 (historical bytes)
This will cycle until you tap a card, then should update the state
to Card inserted and show the card's data. For example here is
a generic card I got from AliExpress.
Mon Dec 30 04:18:46 2024
Reader 0: ACS ACR122U 00 00
Event number: 3
Card state: Card inserted,
ATR: 3B 8F 80 01 80 4F 0C A0 00 00 03 06 03 00 01 00 00 00 00 6A
ATR: 3B 8F 80 01 80 4F 0C A0 00 00 03 06 03 00 01 00 00 00 00 6A
+ TS = 3B --> Direct Convention
+ T0 = 8F, Y(1): 1000, K: 15 (historical bytes)
TD(1) = 80 --> Y(i+1) = 1000, Protocol T = 0
-----
TD(2) = 01 --> Y(i+1) = 0000, Protocol T = 1
-----
+ Historical bytes: 80 4F 0C A0 00 00 03 06 03 00 01 00 00 00 00
Category indicator byte: 80 (compact TLV data object)
Tag: 4, len: F (initial access data)
Initial access data: 0C A0 00 00 03 06 03 00 01 00 00 00 00
+ TCK = 6A (correct checksum)
Possibly identified card (using /usr/share/pcsc/smartcard_list.txt):
3B 8F 80 01 80 4F 0C A0 00 00 03 06 03 00 01 00 00 00 00 6A
3B 8F 80 01 80 4F 0C A0 00 00 03 06 .. 00 01 00 00 00 00 ..
MIFARE Classic 1K (as per PCSC std part3)
3B 8F 80 01 80 4F 0C A0 00 00 03 06 03 00 01 00 00 00 00 6A
3B 8F 80 01 80 4F 0C A0 00 00 03 06 03 .. .. 00 00 00 00 ..
RFID - ISO 14443 Type A Part 3 (as per PCSC std part3)
3B 8F 80 01 80 4F 0C A0 00 00 03 06 03 00 01 00 00 00 00 6A
NXP/Philips MIFARE Classic 1K (as per PCSC std part3)
http://www.nxp.com/#/pip/pip=[pfp=41863]|pp=[t=pfp,i=41863]
Oyster card - Transport for London (first-gen)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_card
ACOS5/1k Mirfare
vivotech ViVOcard Contactless Test Card
Bangkok BTS Sky SmartPass
Mifare Classic 1K (block 0 re-writeable)
Electic vehicle charging card of the German Telekom, acting as EMSP GetCharge
Electic vehicle charging card of the EMSP Stadtwerke Muenchen (SWM), ladenetz.de, Germany
Electic vehicle charging card of the EMSP EinfachStromLaden of Maingau-Energie, Germany
Scouter carsharing customer card in Germany
https://scouter.de/
Then when the card it removed, it should update the state
back to Card removed.
Mon Dec 30 04:18:47 2024
Reader 0: ACS ACR122U 00 00
Event number: 4
Card state: Card removed,
